Dr.Harvey
AndersoN
By: Neil Yang
1.What is your favourite food, that is of course nutritious?
Essentially it really comes down to food patterns and
not individual foods. I don’t eat any one thing. I enjoy
everything but most importantly variety in a meal.
2.One of the perks of being a scientist is travelling to different
countries for conferences and workshops. If you were to take your
team to a conference anywhere in the world, where would you go?
China, I think that would have the most “surprise”
factor as people still have the impression that it is
underdeveloped. In fact, their hospitals look better
than some of ours. But where I really would like to take
people to is to see the Archipelago Island since I have
not been there yet.
3.Every year you teach the course on “Regulation of Food
Composition, Health Claims and Safety”. In your final
assignment, you give us the task of supporting a health claim.
What would be a health claim you stand behind?
We’re limited on claims in terms of food function and
those claims are important because not only should we
focus on glycemic index, but we have to think beyond
that into postprandial glycaemia and how diet
combinations affect glucose control as well as appetite
control.
4.How did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in
Nutritional Sciences?
I grew up in a farm so initially I studied animal science
and did my Masters degree in swine nutrition. Years
ago we did not have micronutrients or supplements fed
routinely to animals, leading to nutrient deficiency.
Now of course with farming, the diets are precisely
defined in order to optimize growth, which led to my
interest in healthy diets and dietary patterns.
5.What is your favourite part of your job?
I do not see it as a job. The reason I am here is because
it is the closest thing that I can do to farming. The
freedom you have as a professor is priceless. You might
not get rich but the richness of the freedom you have is
worth millions. I feel very lucky.
6.What is the most memorable moment you have had in your
research life?
Students succeeding, that is where I get my joy. You
have to admit we have had a lot of successful students. I
learn more from you guys, than you guys from me.
7.Over the years, your research has touched on every major aspect
of human nutrition, from developing an amino acid solution,
studying pulses, and now venturing into folic acid and the rest of
the vitamin B family. What would you say is your most
important and significant discovery that has contributed to the
field of nutrition?
We were at the forefront with Dr. Jeejeebhoy in
developing parenteral nutrition and that just started
when I arrived at the University. So I formulated the
first amino acid solution for parenteral nutrition. It is
still the same solution used today. Now, we’re trying to
understand commodities better and their use in the
diets as we are starting to understand that chronic
diseases are a big problem for the healthcare system.
8.In Canada, we are the only Nutritional Sciences Department to
be located within the Faculty of Medicine. How important is this
for our department and university?
It is important because 70-80% of practitioners deal
with adults with chronic disease issues and a big
component of that accounts to diet. So physicians have
to have a better understanding of that component and
know where patients should go for resources. That is
why we are expanding the nutrition component of our
medical curriculum, which seems to be very popular.
9.Looking back at your career, what has been one of your biggest
challenges that have impacted your life and how did you
overcome it?
I think the biggest challenge was when I was Chair of
the Department in the 80’s as well as the Vice Dean of,
later becoming Dean. Those days were overloaded
with that level of administration and still maintain a
strong research program. How did I manage? Well you
just have to get more efficient. The secret is to have
good support – pick the right people to work with, just
like you pick the right students.
10.If you were starting over again, is there anything you would do
differently?
No, not at all. I was offered a position at Harvard but
did not take that. I do not regret that because this has
been a great place. Following my curiosity has served
me well, so I really would not have changed anything.
Issue 3 | Nutrition of Everything | 28